Putting the ethics into planetary protection
Monday, August 13, 2018 - 09:30
in Astronomy & Space
In the coming decades, as we gear up for a more in-depth search for life on Mars, as well as visits to potentially habitable ocean moons in the outer Solar System, should scientists start addressing the ethical concerns of accidentally contaminating these worlds with Earthly microbes, as well as the scientific implications? That's the question posed by a trio of scientists who are arguing for a shake-up in how we think about planetary protection.